what is the most useless option on your car?

i go first. the head light washer. i mean, it looks good, but i used just once, (to make sure it works ) that's it.

TC and ABS.

I'll second that, I've never used it. In fact I don't think I used it on my 2001 either.

No one's going to say colored wheel caps? Of course, I like mine, so I wouldn't call them useless.. Those comfort seats, on the other hand...

I kinda like the colored wheel caps, but they are awfully expensive for crappy plastic caps.

I agree, I tried it once and the crome piece broke off. So after buying a new piece never will use it again. Not worth the 30 dollars to replace it.

The headlight washers crack me up, since they're "mandatory" with the lits. I had them on my 993, and it was only a month before I sold the car, that I learned how to use them (now THERE's a case of RTFM!!! ) Of course, some of the things that are considered "options" that put a C2 in $88K territory, really tick me off!!!

i learned how to use it by mistake. twist the handle the wrong way..

I'll be provocative and say the PSM toggle switch - though I guess PSM is really the option and not the switch. Still, I have never turned it off, nor do I expect to. I fully realize that most of you other "quien es mas macho?" guys probably never turn it on! (Btw, I don't have the washers). Flame on!

headlight washer for sure. used it once and noticed a leak from one headlight washer on my garage floor.

I dont know how to use mine. What do you mean twist the switch the wrong way? Oh yeah and useless - "hi-fi" radio that I cant hear with the windows open.

The 170+ marks on my speedo.

Headlight washer! One of the "heads" are broken out, thus rendering it even more useless then when they work. Dealer wants over $300 to replace so that I dont have a "hole" in the unit as it sits. Its now "doubly useless".

The headlight washers could be used in my yard, they look almost identical to my sprinkler heads with the exception of the chrome top. A useless feature could be having 2 speedometers...still can't understand that one.

No ****. Can someone please explain to me how a 30k Mustang GT can come standard with a SSK, and our 80K+ 911 comes with a long throw slushbox as standard? That is totally unacceptable to me. I'd feel better if they just put that in every car, and I'd let them charge me more for the "base price" of the car honestly. HOwever, making me pay for such a thing just irks the **** out of me. It really makes me feel like they are trying to stick me at every turn.

I'm guessing you didn't get the $600 driver's footwell light option on the 996, eh?

I think you mean one speedometer, plus an unreadable but ornamental dial above it I agree that the headlight washers are useless. I've used them twice, lost a washer cap each time, and I'll be leaving them alone in future. Unless I'm truly mistaken, the rear wiper is a lot less useful than it should be because there is no rear washer.

Engine

#1 Porsche Crest on the seats and center wheel caps #2 Hardtop #3 Rear seats #4 Cruise control

You mean the Short shift kit (SSK?) I was told by one of their EX racers that they did in fact look into making the the shifter shorter, but the car was not any faster and there was a significant upswing in transmission replacement because of it.

Awww, he beat me to it. Still bitter huh? Let me tell you, it has been almost a year since I had to do my motor and I am just now getting to where I don't make ugly faces when I see a black 996 on the road. Most useless? Hmmm, I really think that the passenger mirror moving down when you put it in reverse is for minivans, not sports cars. My wife and I were talking about my 89 Turbo yesterday. No power mirrors, no power seats, no seat warmers, no pockets in the doors that don't hold anything, no PSM and certainly no mirrors dropping when you hit reverse. In many cases I enjoyed that car MUCH more than the 996, but I understand why they had to make the 996 a little more user friendly. That Turbo drove like a race car, and I think that is why I miss it. Plus, at that time, you didn't see 10 new-model P-cars every 3 miles you traveled. I LOVE colored crests, and I am one of the idiots that payed a rediculous amount of money for them.

The 'A'uto mode on my Tiptronic. (or the whole Tip. - But I made that bed so now I lie in it) I refuse to use auto mode as this things want to live in the tallest gear it can possibly manage. Makes the headers and exhaust upgrade nearly a waste. Only way it manages acceptably is track like driving, otherwise it's bog city. I know it is supposed to 'learn' but apparently I got a stupid one. Love the 'M'anual mode and the wife can drive it too. She rarely does, so the Tip will not be a part of my next purchase. Russ.

After seeing a car without the painted crests on the wheels, that moves to #2 and I now have to vote for the Porsche crest in the seat. That's just silly. But the seats gotta be heated. SWMBO has got to have them. And when she's happy, I'm happy. Michael

I use cruise control all the time. Keeps me from getting tickets and I don't live in a city that has grid lock traffic. 6 gear is almost never used.

Carbon fiber (anything) Any music system - who needs music with and engine like that? Front luggage compartment

Headlight washers Coat hooks on seatbacks

-cigerette lighter

RMS; I never use mine and I hear that lots of people have problems with theirs. Probably should have asked for the "delete" option.

Rear view mirror....if you go fast enough,you don't need it

Hands down the Bose stereo upgrade...

The passenger seat

My car has really purposeful options: Bose CD changer Pwr Seats Bi-Xenons 18" Carrera wheels Headlight washers are only included with the Bi-Xenons, so I would not classify them as a wasted option (even if they aren't used). I don't have any of the typical fluff like colored wheel crests, PSM or the typical leather, carbon or aluminum items that do nothing by make your wallet thinner. With all that said and done, what is the most wasteful thing in the car (option or not)? I would have to say the power lock switch in the dash. Has anyone ever used this?

I use power lock switch when waiting for a passenger in a bad neighborhood. You don't want to use the lock button on the remote because you'll trigger the IR alarm. As many said, washer is the most useless. The rear wiper is also not useful but I'm not sure it's actually an option.

Headlight washers--I wont use them just b/c of the mess they leave on the hood and fenders

The sunroof. TOTALLY worthless!

I got no options on my car....love the standard equipment.

Colored centercaps, $200 for $2 worth of plastic POS. Never again. Only performance options for me baby!

I have never opened mine, not even to check if it works. And it creaks a bit. Bill

It's good to have it open at night, but I agree that it's useless during the day.

Hey Dell, don't let "Mrs. LVDell" read that! If she does, you would be in BIG trouble!

Are you kidding me ? I use cruize control so many times when I feel I'm getting a little "over excited" in speed or just when I'm tired. Keeps me under control and the tickets away. On the freeways, I shift to 6th and hit cruize control. Smooth ride and good fuel efficiency ! Useless Stuff ======== oh, the most useless stuff ? Its the mirrors and lights on the sunvisors ... my girlfriend keeps bringing it down and I get very annoyed that my "sports car" has such stupid stuff. improvements ========= - I really wish a glove compartment was standard on the 1999 996 but can live without it. - I could also have done with a music system WITH an aux-input (have a crappy CDR210). cheers! Sid

Never! She thinks I am on rennlistS.com

I can't decide on the most useless option, but it may be a toss up between the leather covered sun visors, leather covered seat adjustmet *****, or leather covered and individually stitched louver slats in the side dash air vents. They are all useless but they actually look kind of nice, glad I didn't have to pay for them like the original did!

There were a lot of features here mentioned that aren't really options. My list of useless options: 1) Headlight washers - already discussed to death. 2) Park Assist - Not sure this was available on the 996. Was on the 986. Totally stupid on a car this small. Ruins the look of the rear bumper. 3) Rear wiper - RainX works better.

head rest porsche logo. Came with the car... Got the Porsche caps for free. Someone at the dealer just gave them to me!!!! The most useless option in my opinion though, are the back seats.

..me too especially when my lovely wife is sitting in it and commenting on my driving...

Let me see, I love the back up beeper and can say they are very useful when parking in garages in Europe with limited parking and for parallel parking on the streets, the dip in the passenger mirror is just a computer combination that you can change but again useful in parking on the streets and looking for bicycle riders and curbs that can hit your rims so I would disagree on those. Which leaves me with #1 the coat hook I will never use them just lay the thing across the back seat (I guess that means the back seat is useful) and #2 the headlight washers might use them some day if I am following a mud truck at night although I guess according to this thread it would be cheaper for me to stop the car and wipe them off if it cost $30 in lost parts for each use.

#1 useless thing in the Porsche =MOST bus for the stereo. I love the sound of the engine, but in rush hour, I can't hear it anyway so I would rather have a decent stereo. With the MOST crap I can't even upgrade. I would have to parrot the headlight washer option, I wash my car enough that the lights are always clean, and if something is messing them up that fast (like following the mud truck from rountreed above) then I'm following too close, let some yahoo in a BMW tailgate the mud truck and save my front end. I would disagree with most of the "looks" options, sure they don't make the car go faster, but they sure do look nice when it's standing still. I love the colored caps, touches of fiber, hell I even like the coat hanger on the back of my yellow sport seats because it breaks up the yellow with a touch of contrasting black.

1) Park assist 2) rear wiper 3) Rain sensing wipers Not on my cars!!

CD changer. Who listens to music in a Porsche? I never even checked to see if it works. Cruise control, although I think that might not be an option, I never have checked to see if it works. Taking out the passenger seat might be my own option. That way, I won't have to listen to the wife telling me to slow down any more. Tom L 2002 C2

Wow.. so many haters of the headlight washers.. guess you guys don't use your cars in bad weather at night the way Porsche engineers envison folks crossing snowy alp passes on weekends to the ski slopes Man I got to get me one of these newer cars so I can have more things to grip about than the lack of AC and smelly heat mmm someday a 996 will be mine!

Not an option - but I picked up a few shirts from the cleaners and decided to hang them on the hook behind the driver's seat. Could not hang one wire hanger on the stud. What do you hang there?

My most useless option.................Rear ugly bumper bumpers.........If anybody messes or impacts those............they die! C'Mon, you know those ricer tailagaters have no brakes and sometimes I would like to show them but..................No dings please!!!!!!!! Scaring them is fun with brakes and sucking them into a corner only to see them panic and throw in the towel!!!!!!!!!!!!

The jacket from your Armani suit or such like. Your typical European male Porsche owner wouldn't dream of sitting in the car in his jacket. Not only would it impede his driving, but it would be all wrinkled when he got out. Unacceptable. Seriously. Not making this up.

Does this mean an American owner would wear a suit jacket in the car? Please say it isn't so!